Parrot

Parrot's bringing the lessons learned when developing its Asteroid series of car stereos to the next generation of Volvo cars with the Android-based Sensus Connected Touch platform.

Like the Parrot Asteroid Smart that I recently reviewed, the Sensus Connected Touch is a touch-screen interface that is based on a heavily modified version of Android (likely version 2.3) and will connect to the Internet via a Bluetooth-paired smartphone, Wi-Fi tethered access point, or USB-connected 3G/4G dongle. Also like the Asteroid Smart, Sensus will give its users access to a variety of vehicle specific apps available in Parrot's Asteroid Market, … Read more

Looks like someone in the New York City area needs to keep their robot plane on a shorter leash.

Federal authorities are investigating today after the pilot of an Alitalia flight spotted what appeared to be a small, unmanned drone hovering close by as the passenger flight made its approach in to New York's JFK airport on Monday afternoon. The drone reportedly came within 200 feet of the jet.

Don't get all panicky over the prospect of a possible al Qaeda sleeper cell in Queens though. The eyewitness said the drone was black in color, no more than 3 feet wide, and had four propellers -- a description much more similar to a Parrot drone than a Predator.… Read more

After moving to a new city and buying a new car to get around in, a close friend of mine found herself needing some sort of GPS navigation to guide her around her new hometown. So, she bought a used portable navigation device and hit the road.

"This GPS sucks! The maps are out of date and it didn't come with a cable to connect to my computer for updating!" she declared after just a few trips.

"Wait, didn't you just buy a new iPhone?" I realized aloud. "You have to be the … Read more

LAS VEGAS--No CES can start without a mention of the Parrot AR Drone, the expensive flying machine you control with an iPad. I've managed to crash and break it pretty much every time I've tried to use one, and perhaps it was people like me Parrot had in mind when it came up with its new GPS add-on.

Plug it into the USB port underneath the main cover, and you can set up a flight plan using open-source software. The AR Drone will then fly the route itself without the need for human intervention.

If you'd rather … Read more

LAS VEGAS--This is what Bluetooth was invented for: a tong you stick in the soil of your plant that tells you when to water it.

The Flower Power is a gadget that Parrot will bring to market at some stage this year -- there is no word on price yet while the company works out how much it can get away with charging. The fork has sensors that send the information they pick up from the soil of your plant via Bluetooth to an iPad app.

Once you have told the app what the plant is, it cross-references the information … Read more

How do you appease a 10-year-old parrot with clipped wings, a loud mouth, and separation anxiety? Give the intelligent bird a way to get around the house so it can follow you, of course.

That's exactly what Andrew Gray -- a retired Navy officer currently pursuing his master's in engineering at the University of Florida -- created for his beloved family parrot, Pepper. Gray invented the Bird Buggy, a robotic vehicle with two-wheel drive that the parrot can perch on and drive around freely so it can tag behind people and not feel lonely. No kidding. … Read more

Parrot's Asteroid was one of the first car stereo systems to be based and powered by the Android operating system, but it won't be the last after the Asteroid Smart, the Asteroid Tablet, and the Asteroid Mini join the original later this month.

The Asteroid Smart will sit at the top of the new lineup, packing a 6.2-inch capacitive, multitouch screen. The unit fits into a standard double-DIN car stereo and, like the rest of the Asteroid lineup, is powered by a heavily customized version of Android 2.3 (Gingerbread). The unit features four standard USB ports (… Read more

I'd call this week the calm before the brewing Motorola/iPhone/rumored smaller iPad/Kindle update/Surface storm, but in truth, fall gadget winds are already whipping up. This week's Microsoft Release to Manufacturing of Windows 8 signals the company's final few weeks before a hurricane of Windows 8 machines blow into the market.

Storm metaphor too heavy-handed? I'll just cut to the chase: Seth Rosenblatt took a very close look at this final version of Windows (it's the code that ships to partners installing the OS on new computers) and made a call: It'… Read more

AVSOFT's Digital Talking Parrot is strictly for fun. This free screensaver simulates a talking parrot, but like the real thing, Digital Talking Parrot can learn, remember, and repeat what you teach it. You can edit its vocabulary or record words using your system microphone. The program can run as a screensaver or standalone app.

Digital Talking Parrot installs conventionally, though the installer did offer several extras, including one tool we had to deliberately decline to keep from being installed. Unlike some screensavers, Digital Talking Parrot also has its own Start Menu folder, complete with dedicated uninstaller. The program's … Read more